Visa and Immigration Autumn term Conference

🏷️ From £250 🎧 Admissions, marketing, senior leaders, boarding staff, bursars 📍 Mill Hill School

Course Outline: 

This conference will provide independent schools with a practical update on the changing immigration and Student sponsorship landscape.

Delegates will hear from legal specialists, school representatives and UK Visas and Immigration about the new BCA framework, lessons from recent UKVI inspections, sponsorship and safeguarding, emerging fraud risks and current compliance priorities.

The day will conclude with an interactive legal update and an opportunity for delegates to ask questions directly to immigration specialists.

Training topics will include

• Current immigration and Student sponsorship developments
• The new BCA framework
• Lessons from recent UKVI inspections
• Sponsorship, safeguarding and student welfare
• Home Office compliance priorities
• Immigration fraud and unregulated advice
• Maintaining robust compliance systems
• Recent legal developments and case law

BOOK NOW  This event will be held jointly with:

Programme: 09:30 – 10:00 Registration and refreshments  10:00 – 10:30 Welcome and Sector Update: The Immigration Landscape for Schools  The immigration environment for independent schools continues to evolve. This session will examine the latest developments in Student sponsorship, the new BCA framework, increasing compliance activity and emerging issues from the 2026 visa season, with a focus on what these changes mean for schools in practice. 

• Speaker: Kate Hollyer, Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd 

10:30 – 11:15 UKVI Inspections: Lessons Learned from the Front Line  Recent UKVI inspections have highlighted key areas of focus for sponsors. Hear first-hand experiences from schools that have recently undergone inspections, alongside expert commentary on common themes, practical challenges and how schools can prepare for future compliance visits. 

• Panel speakers: 

• Kate Hollyer, Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd 
• Mark Taylor, BSA Group Consultant

11:15 – 11:45 Refreshments and networking 

11:45 – 12:30 Sponsorship, Safeguarding and Student Welfare 

12:30 – 13:30 Networking lunch 

13:30 – 14:15 Home Office Update  An official update from UK Visas and Immigration covering the latest developments in sponsorship, operational changes, compliance priorities and current areas of focus for education providers, followed by an opportunity for questions. 

14:15 – 14:30 – Sponsor Session  Sponsor presentation. 

14:30 – 14:45 Refreshments and networking 

14:45 – 15:30 Fraud, Compliance and the Future of Sponsorship  This session explores emerging risks surrounding immigration fraud, sponsor responsibilities and maintaining robust compliance systems. Delegates will gain practical guidance on identifying risk and protecting their organisation. 

• Speaker: Gaon Hart, Immigration Services Commissioner

15:30 – 16:30 Legal Update and Q&A  An interactive session exploring recent legal developments, case law, compliance expectations and frequently asked questions from sponsors. Delegates will have the opportunity to put their questions directly to leading immigration specialists. 

• Speakers: 
• Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd 
• Hazar El-Chamaa, Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

16:30 Conference close 

Speakers: Kate Hollyer, Partner and Director, BSA Group Legal Services Ltd Kate Hollyer is Executive Director (Legal) of BSA Group and Director of BSA Legal Services Ltd. A qualified solicitor with over 14 years’ experience in UK immigration law, she advises and supports members on a full range of immigration matters. Before joining BSA in 2022, Kate was Partner and Head of Department at a leading UK law firm, where she built extensive expertise in complex immigration cases. Since 2014, Kate has lived in boarding houses alongside her Housemaster husband, giving her a unique, first-hand perspective on the challenges and opportunities of boarding life.

Leigh Steer, Legal Services Manager , BSA Group Legal Services Ltd Leigh joins BSA Group as Immigration Executive for BSA Group Legal Services Ltd. Having previously held the position of Registrar at an independent boarding school, Leigh has a deep understanding of the intricacies of sponsor licence compliance. Through her expertise, Leigh ensures that member schools are supported in all areas of UKVI sponsor licence compliance, including the intricacies of sponsor duties, CAS management and international student visa support.  

Gaon Hart, Immigration Services Commissioner Gaon is currently Immigration Services Commissioner, the regulator for immigration advisers, Chair of the Police Advisory Board for England & Wales, and NED for the NHS Counter Fraud Authority, protecting the NHS from £1.3 Billion fraud risk. He is a Board member for the Cambridge Centre for Applied Research into Human Trafficking and Chair of the Legal Advisory Board for Abitas Group’s Legal firm. He is also Managing Director of Legal Advisory Worldwide, a boutique consultancy specialising in global corporate economic crime risk prevention. He also Chairs and legally advises multiple regulatory bodies on fitness to practice hearings. As a former Senior Crown Advocate and private sector senior executive leading global corporate compliance programmes in the financial and tech sectors, he combines technical AI expertise with a pragmatic passion for effective Board governance. Gaon’s capabilities focus on building effective & trusting relationships in challenging, complex and high-profile situations.

Mark Taylor, BSA Group Consultant

In a previous reincarnation Mark founded The Taylor Partnership – supporting U.K. independent schools in meeting the compliance demands of their UKVI sponsor licences and training many school staff. Mark was previously a Trustee of AEGIS and, during the pandemic, assisted independent schools in creating Covid management plans and organised testing. More recently, after travelling the world, Mark has identified the increased risk to independent schools as a result of the need for greater probity and due diligence in financial awareness of school suppliers, parents and agents. Mark’s interest in this field was first sparked in 2016-17 when he supported a number of schools following the disappearance of students from Vietnam.

Hazar El-Chamaa, Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Hazar has over 20 years’ immigration experience and has been advising education providers on all aspects of compliance, risk management, and strategic restructuring since the inception of Tier 4. As part of the firm’s dedicated education practice, Hazar supports providers on the full lifecycle of sponsorship—from audit readiness and Home Office inspections to crisis response and licence challenges including to Home Office decisions impacting sponsors, bringing a strategic litigation perspective to compliance issues. Hazar is a frequent speaker on immigration law and gives training on sponsor compliance. She is a former chair of ILPA (Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association) and remains an active member, helping to shape the future of immigration policy. Hazar is consistently recommended in leading legal directories, including Chambers UK. Penningtons is recognised as a key link between the Home Office and the education sector, supporting institutions in implementing and responding to the ongoing changes to the UK immigration and sponsorship system.